Oak Brook, Ill.  July 28, 2009  The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) announces the appointment of Michael L. Kochman, MD, FASGE, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, to ASGEs Governing Board.

Dr. Kochman assumed his duties on May 31, 2009 during Digestive Disease Week® in Chicago. His term on the Board will continue through May 2012. He has served on numerous ASGE committees, including current service as treasurer of the ASGE Foundation Board and as chair of the editorial board for the Societys scientific journal GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. He is also research committee co-chair for the Natural Orifice Surgery Consortium for Assessment and Research® (NOSCAR®), a joint effort of the ASGE and the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES).

Dr. Kochman is currently the Wilmott Family Professor of Medicine and Professor of Medicine in Surgery in the Gastroenterology Division at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School and Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He is the endoscopy training director and co-director of the Gastrointestinal Oncology Program. Dr. Kochman is a graduate of Northwestern University (1982) and the University of Illinois Medical School at Chicago (1986). He served his residency at the University of Illinois at Chicago and was chief resident at West Side VA (1989-90). Subsequently, Dr. Kochman completed his fellowship in gastroenterology and hepatology at the University of Michigan Hospitals and Clinics in Ann Arbor (1993). During that time Dr. Kochman also underwent training in interventional endoscopy and had specialized training in endoscopic ultrasound at Indiana University.

Dr. Kochman has served many local and national societies in a variety of positions. He is a past president of the Delaware Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and was the program chairman for the Pennsylvania State Gastroenterology Society. He was inducted into the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. He is a fellow of the ASGE, the American Gastroenterological Association, and the American College of Physicians. Dr. Kochman regularly speaks for various local gastrointestinal societies and is frequently a faculty member at national and international meetings as a lecturer and moderator.

In addition to his service as chairman of the editorial board of GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, he is editor for techniques for the journal and for the Year Book of Gastroenterology. He serves on the editorial boards and as a reviewer for a number of journals including Annals of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. Dr. Kochman has published over 120 articles and chapters and a number of videos. He has edited seven published books, among them, the Clinicians Guide to Gastrointestinal Oncology, Advanced Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and Endoscopic Oncology: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and Cancer Management.

About EndoscopyEndoscopy is performed by specially-trained physicians called endoscopists using the most current technology to diagnose and treat diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Using flexible, thin tubes called endoscopes, endoscopists are able to access the human digestive tract without incisions via natural orifices. Endoscopes are designed with high-intensity lighting and fitted with precision devices that allow viewing and treatment of the gastrointestinal system.